Quickflix Offers HD Streaming of Top TV Shows

Quickflix has launched a TV streaming initiative in HD for subscribers and casual customers alike.

Quickflix has had a patchy track record for HD delivery but a spokeswoman says all the new TV titles will be “available in HD provided the relevant viewing device supports that resolution”.

According to the press release, shows include Downton Abbey, The Walking Dead, Hannibal, Hell on Wheels, Orphan Black, Luther, Miranda, Rectify, Call the Midwife, and Ja’mie: Private School Girl, with “many more to come” from Disney, NBC Universal, ABC, eOne, Starz and BBC.

“This new addition to the expanding Quickflix service allows Kiwis to stream leading international TV shows by the episode or to purchase as an entire season and watch on a wide range of internet connected devices, including smart TVs, Xbox 360, tablets and smartphones.

“The service will also be available on Sony PS3 and PS4 consoles later in the year.”

The service doesn’t offer any exclusive titles that haven’t yet been picked up for broadcast, like the latest24or cable dramasThe BridgeandLow Winter Sun.

But as Quickflix NZ managing director Paddy Buckley says: “This is a major development for legal TV viewing in this country and provides a nice complement to our existing subscription service and pay-per-view latest release movies.

“We’re delighted to be able to respond to consumer demand – up to now, many Kiwis simply haven’t been able to access some of this content or it has been locked behind paywalls.

“For latest TV on Quickflix, you only pay for what you want to watch and nothing else.”

3 Responses to “Quickflix Offers HD Streaming of Top TV Shows”

I can’t decide if the pricing sounds good or not, two quick comparisons, they sound alright, but I’m still not convinced. Compared to something like Vudu (US), Orphan Black is NZ$21/season SD, $33/season/HD (or HDX – which is basically their high bitrate HD). Quickflix appears to be $26/$30 SD/HD (and no indication on HD bitrates). With Season 2 they appear to be behind one episode and missing a lot of featurettes that US sites have with season passes.

Something like Sherlock Season 3 (err sorry, *Series* – darn BBC), comparing $20/$22 SD/HD to $24/$28 DVD/BR (Mighty Ape) it certainly seems cheaper, but the quality would have to be a bit better than it used to be to convince me.

Additionally, the biggest advantage that physical media has is that it’s not geolocked to one country. They’d be better off working on something like the UVVU/DCP stuff which at least appears to allow some library portability in the event you relocate (especially now the provisions that allowed for streaming fees to be charged after the first year seem to have vanished).

I have no interest in Netflix. Many of my favourite tv shows I watch in HD on SoHo, well before they would become available on Netflix. Any of my favourite TV shows that don’t screen on TV in HD, I will usually import the Blu-ray version from overseas as TV shows often release overseas (and the US in particular) well before they screen in New Zealand or are released in New Zealand